


I'll Hold in These Hands

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Category: Free!
Genre: Introspection, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, MakoRin Week, Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 14:26:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2815364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eyelids fluttering as he struggles to wakefulness, Makoto can’t help but shiver from the chill in the air that has goosebumps rippling up his arms.</p><p>Mind still groggy with the last vestiges of sleep, he can’t fathom the reason for the palpable drop in the room’s temperature. After all, Makoto has his very own personal heater right beside him-</p><p>The hand he has groping absently behind him comes up empty as his finger grasp at cold, empty sheets. </p><p>Makoto sighs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Hold in These Hands

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt 'Touch' for MakoRin week on tumblr

Eyelids fluttering as he struggles to wakefulness, Makoto can’t help but shiver from the chill in the air that has goosebumps rippling up his arms.

Mind still groggy with the last vestiges of sleep, he can’t fathom the reason for the palpable drop in the room’s temperature. After all, Makoto has his very own personal heater right beside him-

The hand he has groping absently behind him comes up empty as his finger grasp at cold, empty sheets. 

Makoto sighs.

As he lies in his bed, alone, Makoto can’t help but think that his mattress seems far too large. It’s used to cradling two bodies, one curled around the other, and the space left behind in the absence of one of them feels almost oppressive. 

It’s not that Makoto is going through withdrawal - he isn’t  _dependent_  on the need to touch by any means. Because while he has certainly fielded his fair share of squeezes, clinging, and tackles courtesy of Nagisa (and his siblings, who seem to have taken a leaf from his book), he has also known Haru for most of his life.

Haru isn’t exactly what one would call touch  _averse_ , but navigating the cues that he gives is a delicate task and knowing  _when_  to make contact is a skill that Makoto has honed over the years.

Haru’s not fond of sudden, unexpected contact and  _certainly_  not a fan of contact from strangers. He can take comfort from small gestures; a touch to his elbow, a hand on his knee, a graze of his shoulder. But he needs his space in moments of distress, no matter how Makoto may worry for him.

The point is, Makoto  _can_  go without, and the fact that he’s alone and Rin  _isn’t_  spooned up against his back shouldn’t be making him feel so lost in his own room.

He shouldn’t be feeling the phantom touch of Rin cuddling into him, his nose tickling the hairs on the back of his neck while his fingers creep around his waist to train over his stomach or caress his arm or pet through his sleep rumpled hair. He  _shouldn’t_  be craving the warmth of his mere presence or the amused lilt of his voice or the sharp blade of his wit. 

He shouldn’t be missing the way Rin has seeped into his life, his very being, after so short a time.

But he does. Makoto  _does_  and it makes him curl into himself and burrow under the covers in an attempt to block out the real world and all of the troubles (including his current state of  _Rin_  withdrawal) that it brings.

Until he hears the dull buzz of his phone dancing across the surface of his bedside table.

A hand shoots out from his mound of blankets to retrieve the bothersome thing, though by the time he has hit ‘answer’ and pulled it inside his sanctuary with him, Makoto’s lips are quirking up.

"I miss my personal heater," he mumbles, voice still a little hoarse. 

The chuckle he receives in response warms him to his core. “The flight was  _great_ , thanks for asking. Food wasn’t too bad either. And is that all I am to you?”

Makoto wriggles, his head emerging from the blankets to settle onto Rin’s pillow with a smile, the scent of him still lingering on the fabric from when he’d still been there hours before. “You’re pretty good a cuddling so I guess you’re a great soft toy too?” 

Rin harrumphs without heat. “See if I bring you back any Tim Tams.” He pauses a moment, and Makoto doesn’t disappoint him as he lets out a slightly pitiful whine. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Anyway I just wanted to let you know I’ve arrived safely. Go back to sleep; I’ll call again later.”

Makoto acquiesces and lets him go, promising to speak to him later.

Rin hasn’t even been gone a day, but he’s already counting the moments until he’s back home and back in his arms again.

**Author's Note:**

> Iiiiiii don't care if I'm really far behind, I'm determined to fill every prompt this time!
> 
> Anyway the bit about Tim Tams is from [this ridiculous little headcanon ](http://ladyknightofhollyrose.tumblr.com/post/101293872137/headcanon-rin-brings-some-tim-tams-back-from)I have :D And it's almost 5am so I'm going to post this to AO3 and head to bed - edits (as usual by this point >.<) will probably be made tomorrow ^^'.


End file.
